The mass downing of Russian aircraft in February 2024 is the response of the Ukrainian defence forces to the increasing presence of the enemy's aircraft in the east of Ukraine.
Why has Russia already lost 11 aircraft?
The enemy has increased its air presence in the eastern direction. Accordingly, there was a reaction from the top military leadership. And the Air Force is doing what you see. They (Russian planes — ed.) stray quite far, let's not say the exact distance, he said.
Yuriy Ignat
Air Force Command Spokesman
That is, according to Ignat, "Russian pilots are no longer so impudent, they do not fly so close."
In order for the bomb to fly further, they need to fly closer, because the bomb is plannering, it does not have its own engine, it plans and flies, descending, losing speed. That is why they (Russian pilots — ed.), in order to continue to fight, need to take risks, by taking risks they end up in stories like today's (downing of the Su-34, — ed.), he stated.
In addition, according to Ignat, more means are appearing in Ukraine to get at the enemy on distant approaches, which is "very important".
What is known about the destruction of Russian aircraft
On Feb. 29, AFU destroyed a Russian Su-34 fighter. It became the 11th jet lost by the invaders since Feb. 17. That day, the Air Force destroyed three Russian aircraft — two Su-34 fighter-bombers and a Su-35 fighter. They were also shot down on the eastern front.
On Feb. 27 and 26, it became known about the downing of two more Su-34s. In addition, on Feb. 23, the Defence Forces reported that a Russian A-50 aircraft was shot down over the Sea of Azov. This is the second A-50 destroyed by the Armed Forces since the beginning of the war.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the AFU shot down 340 planes of the occupiers.
